“Power To” Versus “Power Over”
The saying, “A fish rots from the head down” implies that an organization’s leadership is the root cause of any failure.
Because it’s a business reality that we all watch the boss and take our cues from the top, a ripple-down effect emerges from the leader. In essence, who we are is how we lead, which, by the way, applies not only to our work, but to parenthood and/or marriage.
Effective leadership makes the distinction between “power over” versus “power to.” Leading from a “power over” approach has qualities of insecurity, ego, secrecy or control. This translates to an environment of fear, distrust, judgment, frustration or hostility.
Leading from a position of “power to” embodies qualities of inspiration, trust, transparency, empathy, communication and vulnerability. These qualities empower us to flourish, and they make us feel better about our organization. According to the authors of “Primal Leadership:” “How people feel about working at a company can account for 20 – 30 percent of business performance.”
Leading with a “power to” approach engages people. “Power-to” leaders listen and genuinely connect to the emotions that underpin a situation. These leaders focus on the humanity, not just the issue or experience at hand.
When the fish rots at the head, the leader has effectively poisoned the emotional climate of the workplace. Since emotions are contagious, the negativity trickles down and rots the rest of the organization.
What would our institutions, organizations and families look like, if we, as leaders, led from a “power to” versus a “power over” mentality?
